yesterday. Thirty- five men first attacked and fired upon our pickets without injuring them. They returned the fire effectually, and got safely into camp. All of our pickets got safely in during the night. The advance of the enemy was composed of about 160 well-armed and disciplined men, and dark last night our little force was surrounded, the enemy covering the three roads leading past the Court-House.

He brings no definite information as to number of enemy; thinks at least 2,500 1,000 of whom are an Eastern Virginia regiment, well armed and equipped and disciplined, the militia.

Irregular firing was kept up during the night. At daybreak, in the language of the scout, " Both sides were firing like hell, " our men holding good their position. Tyler's two companies stopped last night ten miles this side of Glenville, for what reason God only knows. But the delay has probably occasioned the cutting off my brave boys.

Colonel Tyler himself at 10 o'clock morning was not a mile and a half from Weston. If our men at Glenville cannot hold out till to-morrow morning Tyler and Lytle will not reach Wise at all.

The scout reports that our men are behaving nobly, determined to hold their position.

Respectfully,

J. M. CONNELL,

Seventeenth Ohio Volunteers.

Numbers 4. Reports of Brigadier General William S. Rosecrans, U. S. Army, of preliminary operations from June 27 to July 3.

JUNE 29, 1861.

[GENERAL: ] On the receipt of your instructions by telegraph to proceed to Elk Camp, after midnight of the 27th I took my staff and sixty-five Chicago dragoons, under Captain Barker, and arrived at 6 a. m. I found it about ten miles below Clarksburg, in the woods, in a bend of the Elk, and about one mile and a half above the bridge. They were sent to cover in the position marked A on the sketch herewith.* Spending two or three hours in reducing to order and reconnoitering the locality, I found there was no room for any one of the regiments, and some had not even room for a company roll-call. Meanville I received your by messenger, announcing the departure of General Schleich and of Colonel McCook for the same the spot. I haft the long-roll beat, and the troops assembled from the woods, fields, and ravines, where they were roaming. Those were arrested who did not obey the call, and experienced its meaning. Having given them this lesson I dismissed them for dinner, and gave orders that after they should prepare for a march. I then went forward to examine the country for a suitable camp. The valley in which is the Buckhannon turnpike is narrow, and offers no sufficient space for an encampment until you reach Duncan's Bottom. Arriving there, the citizens of the vicinity told me I could find a good camping ground in a valley beyond Matty Mountain; it proved a mistake, and I returned to this place, where I met the head of the column, and ordered them to encamp for the night.

It was then 8 o'clock, and I proceeded to Schleich's camp and wrote you the dispatch sent last evening. On my way I found McCook's regiment

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* Not found.

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